1st and King

The First and King State Office Building is an amazing expansion of an existing four-story building located in the historic Pioneer Square district of Seattle. The existing building was constructed in 1911 and was being used by a printing company for storage and manufacturing.

The remodel converted the existing masonry building into an office building, which the State of Washington then began occupying. Two new floors were erected above a seismic restoration of the existing building, and the new steel framed- and stucco clad- exterior blended with the old masonry to preserve the existing ambiance and satisfy the Pioneer Square Board.

The project included the installation of an underground parking garage inside a basement whose floor was below the water level of Elliot Bay. The building remains occupied by the State of Washington.

Challenges/Results
The First and King building was a very difficult remodel for MJR Development. Any remodel of an old, historic building is complicated, but this particular project was made thorny by several outside factors.

Getting the project approved by the City of Seattle was difficult, as was the approval by the Pioneer Square Design Board. Additionally, the tenant for the building was very demanding, requiring modern systems throughout a 1910 building.

The finished product makes every hiccup worth it. The creative design blended two new floors with four old floors and was completed on schedule, within budge completion.

Architect
John Deiniger

Square Feet
78,000

Construction Details
New steel and concrete two-story addition clad in stucco and glass above an existing masonry building that underwent extensive remodeling to bring it up to current codes.

Completion Date
1991

Location
Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington

Floors
Six floors above a basement parking garage

General Contractor
WG Clark Construction